Do you suffer Zapier-Pinterest integration issues? Here are possible reasons

1. Pinterest has updated API – from October 2020, unapproved apps receive a rate limit warning.
2. Zapier is using an outdated authenticated & integration method.

Problem

If you notice your zaps sending content to Pinterest don’t work any longer, you face the bigger problem that just reconnecting your Pinterest account.

When trying to test Pinterest integration on Zapier, you may see the error message:

DataPostError: Problem creating Connected Account Test. (authentication failed: The app returned “Authorization failed.”.)

When trying to reconnect Zapier and Pinterest, you may see the error message:

Zapier could not connect to your account. The app returned “You have exceeded your rate limit. Try again later.”.

When you contact Zapier support to fix the Zapier-Pinterest integration, you may receive an answer saying:

So sorry about this! I’ve investigated the issue, and it looks like you’re being affected by an open issue with Pinterest. … I’m afraid that I don’t have an ETA on when there might be a resolution but you’ll definitely be notified as soon as we hear back that it’s been fixed.

If you run into this irritating sequence of fail messages, you have to assume your Zapier-Pinterest automation is dead.

Zapier-Pinterest integration issues – the reason

Pinterest is replacing the current API system with the new one. To use the new one, you have to apply to create an app. The new API program is in beta and you have to wait no one knows how long to get the app approved.

The Pinterest API documentation has been recently changed.

Before (via Wayback Machine – October 11, 2020):

Effective April 29 2020, all unapproved apps can only make 1 call / hour against the developer API.

Now (checked on October 11, 2020)

Unapproved apps may not make any requests against the developer API and will receive a rate limit warning.

You get this error when you try to reconnect Zapier with Pinterest.

I have been testing it before Pinterest updated their documentation. Reconnecting Pinterest every even day returns the too-many-requests error.

However, other automation platforms (I have tested Buffer and IFTTT) pass Pinterest authorization without any problem.

In other words, the update in Pinterest API affected Zapier but not other platforms.

Solutions

Let’s hope Zapier will update the way they connect with Pinterest as soon as possible. If you don’t want to wait, you can replace Pinterest step in your zaps with a custom Zapier RSS that you can use:

• Directly on Pinterest – if your feed links to your claimed domain, you can add the custom RSS created on Zapier to: Pinterest » Settings » Bulk create Pins.
• Use IFTTT to send your Zapier RSS items to Pinterest. This method lets you share stuff from around the web and enables you to customize the content.